Open hole bridger and support



Filed Aug. 6, 1935 2 SheetsSheet l w 7 h [/0 2 47 w I I U Jae/D. Hug hes1936- .1. D. HUGHES OPEN HOLE BRIDGER AND SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m b ah OJ u H D a a .IU

Filed Aug. 6, 1935 llll- Patented Aug. 11, 1936 OPEN HOLE BRIDGER ANDSUPPORT James D. Hughes, Houston, Tex., assignor to Eastman Oil WellSurvey Company, a corporation of Texas Application August 6, 1935,Serial No. 34,874

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the practice of bridging orplugging back of open bore holes drilled for oil, gas or water.

In the drilling of wells for oil, gas or water it frequently becomesnecessary to side track the existing hole. In order to do this a bridgemust be formed in the hole to support a sidetracking or deflecting toolwhich will drill off at an angle from the old hole.

In the past the practice has been to place a cement slurry in the holeat the point it is desired to bridge or plug and allow the cement toharden. Cement thus placed is frequently subject to heat, contaminationof drilling mud, and natural chemical reactions, all adverse to theproper hardening of the cement. If the cement is not hard the bit ordeflecting tool will not dig out into the surrounding wall. The cementis drilled out without accomplishing any good. Frequently three or fourplugs will be placed in this manner before one is hard enough to workon.

The cementing process is expensiveand requires the drilling rig to beshut down from 48 to 72 hours to allow hardening.

It is the object of this invention to eliminate the expense anduncertainty of the open hole cementing process as employed in sidetracking and similar operations by producing a simple, substantial andreliable device that will form a bridge at any desired depth in the holeupon which to place united sections of hardened and cured precastconcrete which will guarantee the success of side tracking operations.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bridger or supportwhich may be adjusted and supported at any desired level in the wellbore.

I also desire to provide a device of this character which may bepositively operated from the surface of the ground whenever the desiredlevel is reached.

It is a further object to provide a bridger or support which may belowered and set at the proper level and then detached and left inposition in the well to support other devices.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in connection withthe support a series of upward extensions thereon to serve as a basisfor locating a whipstock or side tracking member at the desired positionin the well.

With reference to the drawings herewith Fig. 1 is a central longitudinalsection through a support shown as connected with the lower end of adrill stem or setting tool.

Fig. 2 is a similar view partly in elevation showing the anchoring meansfor the support as being partly extended.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the anchoring means inoperative extended position.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the plane 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section through one of the sections ofmy concrete extension which is supported upon the anchoring means.

Fig. 6 is a similar longitudinal section showing a section adapted forattachment to the sections shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the plane l--l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an assembly view showing my supporting device in position in awell bore with the extensions in position therein for supporting a sidetracking member.

In carrying out my invention I construct a device adapted to be placedin position at the proper level in a well bore and adapted to engage theside walls of the open hole and form a fixed support. This deviceincludes an outer tubular housing I, which is threaded at 2 at its upperend for connection by means of a coupling 3 to the nipple or sub 4, saidsub having a threaded socket 5 at its upper end for connection with atool joint 6 at the lower end of the setting string. The lower end ofthe housing I is threaded at 1 for connection with any pipe which may beextended ahead of the anchor, such for example as the barrel of thepacker or similar device. Ordinarily, however, no such extension isnecessary or desirable.

Within the housing I is a flow tube 8 through which mud or flushingfluid may pass longitudinally of the device. This tube is properlyspaced and anchored in position concentric with the housing by means ofspacer rings 9 and II) at the upper and lower ends, respectively. Saidrings are welded, as shown at H, both to the tube and to the interior ofthe housing. The tube 8 extends through the lower spacing ring l and hasa cap l2 thereon, said cap having a constricted opening l3 dischargingtherefrom. The tube 8 has lateral openings I 4 therein above the lowerspacing ring #0, which ring closes the space between the tube andhousing.

Anchoring arms l are mounted in slots I 6 in the wall of the housing.There are pins 5'! extendingthrough the walls of the housing and actingas pivots for the arms l5. Said arms are tapered from their inner endsaway from the pivot and have sharp piercing ends l8 to engage the wallof the hole. Normally said arms are in retracted position lying withinthe slot l6 in the wall of the housing, their lower ends lying alongbeveled surfaces 19 on the housing wall.

As will be noted from the drawings, while this device is being loweredinto the well flushing fluid may be discharged downwardly through thesetting string and the tube 8 ahead of the device. When the proper levelis reached where the bridger or support is to be set, a ball or othersimilar closing device 20 is dropped downwardly through the settingstring and the tube 8 to engage with the ,upper end of the opening l3,thus forming a closure for the lower end of the tube and necessitatingthat the flushing fluid be discharged laterally through the openings l4into the space 2| between the housing and the tube.

Within the space 2| is normally placed a floating sleeve or piston 22,the upper end of which is tapered inwardly at 23. Hence when the liquidis discharged through the lower openings M it will engage against thelower end of the sleeve 22 and force the same upwardly, thus tending toforce the lower ends of the anchoring arms [5 outwardly as shown in Fig.2. The device is then lowered. The weight of the setting string will actto force the housing downwardly and the arms l5 will engage the walls ofthe hole and be gradually forced outwardly as the housing is lowereduntil they finally assume the position shown in Fig. 3. The arms willthen be in an approximately horizontal position, the upper sides thereofengaging against the shoulders 24 at the upper ends of the slots l6.These supporting arms are made of sufiicient length and strong enough tosupport heavy loads resting upon the anchor or bridger.

In order that the side tracking tool may be given a substantial supportat the proper level in the well, sections of solid material, such ascement, are lowered to a position on top of the anchor. In order thatthis may be done, the sub 4 and the collar 3 at the upper end of theanchor are unscrewed and removed from the support. The engaging threadbetween the collar 3 and the housing I is a lefthand thread. Thus byrotation of the setting string to the right the collar 3 will be screwedupwardly and away from the housing and may be withdrawn. I then lowerupon the bridger one or more of my precast cement extensions. The lowerone of such extensions will preferably be made as shown in Fig. 6. Thereis a central tube 25, the lower end of which has opposite lateralopenings 26 therein. Said tube also has a plurality of laterallyextending lugs 21 thereon and, as shown in Fig. '7, I have four of suchlugs in each set and a plurality of longitudinally spaced sets areshown. About this tube is cast a cylindrical body 28 of cement orconcrete. At the upper end of the tube 25, which extends short of theupper end of the body, is a socket 29 having lateral openings 30 thereinregistering with radially extending openings 3| to receive bolts or pins32. The upper end of the body 28 is preferably formed with a concavedrecess 35 to engage with the rounded end 33 of an adjacent section.

As many sections similar to that shown in Fig. 6 may be used as arenecessary to space the side tracking member at the proper level abovethe bridger. The uppermost of the sections may be made as shown in Fig.5. In this section the upper end of the tube 25' is formed with athreaded socket 34, said socket being threaded with a lefthand thread,so that asetting tool may be screwed therein to lower the extensionsinto the well. Each section is secured to the next lower section byextending the lower end thereof into the socket 29 in the upper end ofthe next lower section. The bolts 32 are then inserted diametricallyacross through the opposite openings 3| and through the openings 26 inthe next upper section and said bolts are secured in place in thecustomary manner by means of a nut threaded thereon. This type ofconnection is a flexible one which allows a hinge movement betweenadjacent sections. This may be desirable where the hole is not exactlystraight and allows a certain movement of one section relative to theother where desired, so that extensions may be easily lowered throughthe hole to a position upon the bridger.

It will be clear from the description given that I am enabled with theuse of the bridger and the extensions placed thereon to form a solidandsubstantial support for my side-tracking device. These extensions may bemade of cement which has been set for a suflicient length of time sothat they will form a substantial support which will not crumble orgive-away when the side-tracking tool is set thereon. Because of thesectional character of the extensions it is possible to place anydesired number in position on the support so that the upper level willbe at the exact point where side-tracking is desired. The advantages ofthis construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A tubular housing for use in wells having an axial fluid passagenormally open, a plurality of arms pivotally supported at one end inslots in the side walls of said housing, the lower sharpened ends ofsaid arms being normally presented downwardly, a piston in said housingbelow said arms, means to close the lower end of said passage operablefrom the surface and to then direct hydraulic pressure fluid below saidpiston in said housing, and move said piston upwardly to engage saidarms and move them outwardly to engage the walls of the well and meansto exert a downward thrust on said housing to move said arms to anapproximately horizontal position.

2. A supporting device for wells, including a cylindrical body, armshoused therein and pivoted to swing upwardly and outwardly, means tolimit the upward movement of said arms, means responsive to fluidpressure to move said arms to a position engaging the walls of the well,a plurality of sections supported on said body, each section comprisinga central tube and a cylindrical support of cement cast thereon, saidsections having an articulated connection with adjacent sections.

3. A support for use in wells including a cylindrical body,hydraulically operated means to fix said body against downward movementat any desired level in the well, cylindrical upward extension on saidsupport, each section having a rounded lower end, a concave upper end oncertain sections, and means to hinge the lower end of one section withinthe concave upper end of the next adjacent lower section.

4. A supporting housing adapted to be anchored in a well, longitudinalsections of hard material above said housing, each section comprising acylindrical block of concrete, an axial tube in said block projectingfrom the lower end thereo and having transverse openings therein, thelower end of each block being shaped to vinterfit with the upper end ofthe next lower one, and means engaging through said upper end andthrough saidopenings in the projecting end of said tube to connect thetube to the adjacent lower block.

5. A supporting housing adapted to be anchored in a well, longitudinalsections of hard material above said housing, each section comprising acylindrical block of concrete, an axial tube in said block projectingfrom the lower end thereof and having transverse openings therein, thelower end of each block being shaped to interfit with the upper end ofthe next lower one, a socket in the upper end of said block to receivethe projecting lower end of the next adjacent upper block and atransverse pin engaging said tube and socket to connect said sectionsflexibly together,

JAMES D. HUGHES.

